Poetry. Latino/Latina Studies. PALABRAS DE MEDIODIA/NOON WORDS is Lucha Corpi's pioneering collection of poems that established her as a major figure in Mexican American literature. Written in Spanish and expertly translated by Catherine Rodriguez-Nieto, the poems fairly bloom off the page in a display of lyric virtuosity. Lucha Corpi is a poet, novelist and children's book author. She is the author of a series of mystery novels featuring Gloria Damasco, the first Chicana detective in American literature, among them BLACK WIDOW'S WARDROBE (1999) is also available from SPD. The recipient of numerous awards, including NEA and Oakland Cultural Arts fellowships, Lucha Corpi lives in Oakland where she has been a teacher since 1973.